Ronald J. Sidercreated Evangelicals for Social Action, now Christians for Social Action (CSA), as a network to fulfill those commitments made in the Chicago Declaration. CSA is a “think-and-do” tank that helps Christian communities cultivate a faith-fueled commitment to justice.
What is Christians for Social Action?
Ronald J. Sider created Evangelicals for Social Action, now Christians for Social Action (CSA), as a network to fulfill those commitments made in the Chicago Declaration. CSA is a “think-and-do” tank that helps Christian communities cultivate a faith-fueled commitment to justice.
What is the history of Christianity?
Christianity has a long and checkered history. Christians triumphed in overcoming the persecution of the Romans. Then they became the sole state religion of Rome. Here the church set up the society of Western civilization. But as the Christian leadership grew more powerful, they lost their soul.
What was the early influence of Christianity on the Roman Empire?
b. In 312 A.D., half of the Roman Empire came under the political and social influence of Christianity under the rule of Constantine. c. Early Christians stood in opposition to infanticide, degradation of women, gladiatorial combats, slavery, etc.
Why are Christians involved in the abolitionist movement?
The abolitionist movements in England and the United States were spearheaded by followers of Christ. Christians are one of the most socially active groups in existence because our Leader, Jesus Christ, taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves ( Matthew 22:39 ).
What is the negative charge of Christianity?
The Negative Charge: Christianity has been a repressive force against the advancement of civilization. A. Karl Marx termed Christianity an opiate of the masses, a tool of exploitation. B. Sigmund Freud called Christianity an illusion, a crutch, a source of guilt and pathologies.
What does Jesus say about rebirth?
Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . That which is born of flesh is flesh: that which is born of spirit is spirit” (John 3:3,6). Paul spoke of the Christian rebirth in this way, “Do not be conformed to this world-system, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .”.
How many delegates were there at the Constitutional Convention?
The vast majority at the Constitutional Convention (55 delegates) were members of Protestant churches: 28 Episcopalians, eight Presbyterians, seven Congregationalists, two Lutherans, two Dutch Reformed, two Methodists, two Roman Catholics, three Deists, one unknown. c.
What is humanism in the church?
Humanism — Views the physical and social needs of man as the only importance. The institutional church has, at times, failed at preaching regeneration. {6}
How many universities were founded for the express purpose of propagating the Christian religion?
3. 100 of the first 110 universities in America were founded for the express purpose of propagating the Christian religion.
Why were universities founded?
100 of the first 110 American universities were founded expressly founded for the purpose of training men to propagate the Christian faith.
When did Christianity rule the Roman Empire?
b. In 312 A.D., half of the Roman Empire came under the political and social influence of Christianity under the rule of Constantine.
What is ESA in the 1980s?
Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA) officially launches as a national membership organization. 1978. 1980s – Political Activism. ESA’s political involvement rises to the forefront. 1980s – Political Activism. 1983. Ron Sider debates Jerry Falwell on CNN about ESA’s campaign for a bilateral nuclear freeze.
What was the Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern?
In response, Ron Sider, along with the others, created the “The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern,” which specifically called for a rejection of racism, economic materialism, economic inequality, militarism, and sexism. Ronald J. Sider created Evangelicals for Social Action, now Christians for Social Action (CSA), …
What is ESA support?
ESA raises support for sanctions against apartheid in South Africa, and sends leading black South African evangelical Moss Ntlha on a speaking tour to two dozen evangelical colleges. ESA addresses U.S. poverty solutions, advances environmental stewardship. National Religious Partnership for the Environment launches.
What is the Chicago Declaration?
Ron Sider spearheads “The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern,” a call to reject racism, militarism, economic inequality, and sexism. “The Chicago Declaration” is signed by a broad range of 40 evangelical leaders committed to strengthening evangelical social concern.
What does CSA stand for in ESA?
ESA changes its name to CSA, Christians for Social Action, in response to its expanding audience.
What is the ESA’s flagship publication?
National Religious Partnership for the Environment launches. ESA premiers its flagship publication, PRISM magazine. ESA successfully lobbies for the Endangered Species Act, in partnership with the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.
What is Oriented to Love?
Oriented to Love is launched, a program to promote loving dialogue on the highly divisive issue of sexual/gender diversity in the church. How can we nurture a unity that is deeper than agreement, and use this conflict as a means for maturing in Christ?
What is Christianity?
Christianity is the world’s largest religion. The Christian faith originated from the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also the most widespread and diverse belief system.
Where did Christianity grow?
Christianity grew from a small, grassroots movement in Galilee to a multi-religion entity.
How did the Reformation change Christianity?
The Reformation transformed Christianity in more ways than Martin Luther could have imagined. In his 95 theses, he protested the corruption of the Church. It included selling church offices, debauchery, and selling indulgences. But the Church cracked to open up society to the thought of something more than an imperial church.
Why do we need to look back to our origins?
They say one needs to look back to his origins so he can succeed in the future. This is true for Christians and for all denominations. Most people wanted to study the history of Christianity to understand the different facets of their faith.
How many Christians are there in the world?
Christians comprise over two billion believers. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest and most influential denomination. Eastern Orthodoxy is the second-most populous, and the Protestant churches are the most diverse.
Why was the Reformation important?
Here the people thought of more than just the Church to govern their lives. They thought about the human experience in more economic and democratic ways.
Where was the first church built?
The story of Christianity is a complex and multi-layered narrative. According to the Bible, the first church was created 50 days after Jesus’ death. This is the time when the Holy Spirit was said to descend onto Jesus’ followers. The church was centered in Jerusalem, and most of the first Christians were Jewish converts. One of the callings of the early Christians was to spread and teach the gospel.
Why are Christians so socially active?
Christians are one of the most socially active groups in existence because our Leader, Jesus Christ, taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves ( Matthew 22:39 ). Organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion International, Focus on the Family, the A21 Campaign, Open Doors, and countless others exist because Christians saw a need …
What was Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth?
Jesus’ kindness to the oppressed and ostracized was well-known, but He was clear that His purpose in coming to earth was not humanitarian; it was spiritual. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” ( Luke 19:10 ). He came to preach the good news of the kingdom ( Mark 1:36–38 ).
Why do Christians use their influence?
It’s when Christians use their influence to try to correct moral and ethical issues that the objections begin. Some argue that “separation of church and state” requires all religion to stay out of the public square.
What does social action mean for Christians?
Social action for Christians means we live our faith 24/7 whether at home, at our jobs, or at our places of worship. There is no switch to flip off our “light” whenever we feel like it. As believers, we take the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go ( 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ).
What did Jesus say about society?
Earlier, Jesus had told them of the difference they would make in society: “You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
What did Jesus do after he was resurrected?
After His resurrection, Jesus left the good news of salvation with a handful of followers who used it to change the world (see Acts 17:6 ).
Why is salt important to Christians?
Salt brings out the flavor of any food. It also preserves, cleans, and helps heal infection. In order for Christians to be “salt” in the world, we must maintain those distinct properties that come from abiding in God’s Word. When we assimilate the world’s way of thinking and behaving, we lose our saltiness.
What population groups were most attracted to this new vision and new community of discipleship?
Particular population groups seem to have been most attracted to this new vision and new community of discipleship. The poor and the sick were given hope; widows and orphans found companionship; artisans and traders who were marginalized by aristocratic elites and priestly restrictions discovered new networks for creative interaction; intellectuals who found the old religions, cults, and speculations unsatisfying or sterile discerned a greater wisdom and vitality; and, later, on rulers of the Roman Empire and (still later) the princes of North Europe, who needed a moral and spiritual architecture to give shape to new civilizational developments, sought guidance in this faith’s doctrines and legitimation from this church’s leadership. This faith itself was a social movement from the start.
What did Christianity claim?
Christianity claimed that it was the true heir of these prophetic directions. In Jesus Christ the one universal and righteous God entered into the concreteness of human personhood and made transcendent reality into an accessible, immanent, and transforming presence.
Why are orphanages being reduced?
The number of orphanages and homes for the handicapped has been reduced due to better medical care for mothers and for children with birth defects — and due to the increased options for safe abortion, sharply opposed by Catholics and many evangelicals, yet accepted in some circumstances by most Protestants.
What did the defeat of the warriors or rulers bring about?
The defeat or victory of their warriors or rulers brought about the decline or ascendancy of their religion. The ancient Hebrews shared many of these views. But specific aspects of that tradition pressed in a different direction.
Why were mission movements organized?
Some movements were organized in order to form institutions of charity, staffed by committed "sisters" or "brothers" who dedicated their lives to service. Christian hospitals, schools, orphanages, and homes for the mentally or physically handicapped were founded in nearly every sizable community in the Western world — as well as increasingly in developing countries, where mission movements have been active. Hospitals often still bear the names of their founding religious groups, even if their twenty-first-century support comes less from church-related sources and more directly from government, insurance companies, or foundations. The number of orphanages and homes for the handicapped has been reduced due to better medical care for mothers and for children with birth defects — and due to the increased options for safe abortion, sharply opposed by Catholics and many evangelicals, yet accepted in some circumstances by most Protestants. Adoption agencies, advocacy groups for and by handicapped persons, and pregnancy counseling services have increased, many under religious sponsorship or with their support Indeed, current advocates of governmental funding for "faith-based" groups as full partners in fighting certain social problems are seeking to extend this history into new channels of care and action.
How are Christian social movements distinguished from their earlier prototypes?
Modern Christian social movements are distinguished from their earlier prototypes by their increasing ability to organize freely, by their more overt goals of addressing specific social problems or groups, and by the growth of a kind of historical consciousness that expects human agency, in the service of God’s promises of redemption, to help the needy, empower the weak, establish justice, and resist injustice by concerted action. Movements sharing these characteristics have evolved in a variety of directions.
What is the richness of the Christian vision of God’s transcendence and presence?
The richness of the Christian vision of God’s transcendence and presence, the range of constituencies to which it appeals, and the variety of contexts into which it has moved have produced an enormous variety of social movements. Yet some main developments can be traced.